Towards a Holistic Definition of Post-pandemic Resilience: The Pacific Context

Abstract

AbstractPost-pandemic resilience in the Pacific region presents some unique, context-specific, economic, social, environmental, and political challenges as well as opportunities. This study aims at developing a holistic definition of post-pandemic resilience in the Pacific context, based on the interconnected aspects and factors that contribute. As there is a gap in the literature for a holistic definition of post-pandemic resilience based on empirical studies from the Pacific Island countries, this study tries to plug that gap. Using a qualitative systems thinking approach, data was collected from primary and secondary sources including semi-structured interviews with ten senior leaders in the Pacific. This study first captures the multiple levels and different interconnected aspects of post-pandemic resilience in the Pacific and then presents a holistic definition. An analysis of the different papers published in this special issue based on this holistic definition and their contexts is also provided in this article. Overall, this study contributes to the literature and practice on post-pandemic resilience by developing a holistic definition using an empirical study based in the Pacific.